1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a combined hopper/feeder apparatus for paint ball guns and paint ball guns having a combined hopper/feeder apparatus and to method for using same.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a combined hopper/feeder apparatus for paint ball guns and an improved paint ball gun including a combined hopper/feeder apparatus, where the hopper/feeder apparatus includes an outer shell, an interior designed to hold paint balls, a first aperture having a lip for filling the hopper/feeder apparatus with paint balls, a second aperture having a paint ball dispensing tube depending from a center portion of the apparatus and a retractable closing assembly located at an upper portion of the dispensing tube for preventing paint balls from entering the depending tube until the closing assembly is retracted. The gun can also include a lid designed to engage the lip of the first aperture in a detachable manner and optionally a connecting member; preferably, the lid is pivotally mounted on, a top of the hopper/feeder apparatus so that the lid can be opened and closed. The present invention also relates to methods for making and using same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Numerous types of paint ball guns have been developed and used in a variety of manners, such as in simulated war games. These paint ball guns are generally powered by CO2 cartridges or cylinders which, generally, propel the paint balls at a specified velocity, such as three hundred (300) feet per second out of the gun barrel. In general, the prior art paint ball guns include a typical firearm type mechanism including a bolt, spring and cocking handle.
These prior art paint ball guns generally include a paint ball holder/hopper/feeder apparatus, typically called a hopper that is secured to the gun by a connector where the connector has a first end that attaches to a feed tube of the gun and a second end that attaches to the hopper. Regardless of the method for connecting, e.g., friction, threaded connections or the like, the guns includes a hopper and a feeder. The hopper generally includes a detachable lid, which is detached and paint balls are loaded into the hopper from a feeder. After the paint balls are added to the hopper, the lid is reattached and the feeder is either dropped on placed in a bag or back pack. Although the system is workable, considerable time can be lost in reloadingxe2x80x94transferred paint balls from the feeder to the hopper. Moreover, the transfer is wrought with difficulties and generally always results in spilled paint balls.
Thus, there is a need in the art for an improved paint ball gun including a combined hopper/feeder apparatus, where no paint ball transfer is required.
The present invention provides a combined paint ball hopper/feeder apparatus having a retractable closing assembly, where the feeder/hopper apparatus is designed to hold a plurality of paint balls and the closing assembly is designed to retain the paint balls in the apparatus until the assembly is retracted by a user. The major benefit of the apparatus is the elimination of the feeder tubes used to fill prior art hoppers and the need to transfer paint balls to the hopper during a game.
The present invention also provides a paint ball gun apparatus including: a gun assembly having a handle, a barrel, a gas inlet, and a paint ball feed tube; and a feeder/hopper or magazine having an outer shell, an interior designed to hold paint balls, preferably a smooth interior, a first aperture having a lip for receiving paint balls, a second aperture having a paint ball dispensing tube depending from a center portion of the magazine, preferably a lowermost portion, and a retractable closing assembly at an upper portion of dispensing tube, where: the magazine dispensing tube is designed to engage the gun feed tube to form a conduit for supplying paint balls to the gun barrel; the gas inlet is designed to be connected to a source of propellant gas for propelling paint balls out of the barrel; the first aperture of the magazine is designed to receive paint balls; and the closing assembly is designed to hold the paint balls inside the interior of the magazine until the closing assembly is retracted by a user, permitting the paint balls to travel into the conduit and into the barrel for shooting out of the barrel. The magazine preferably also includes a lid designed to engage the lip of the first aperture in a detachable manner, preferably, the lid is pivotally mounted on a top of the apparatus so that the lid can be opened and shut.
The present invention also provides a method for supplying paint balls to a paint ball gun including the steps of: loading paint balls into a magazine of this invention with the retractable closing assembly unretracted; connecting a depending tube of the magazine to the feed tube of a paint ball gun to form a conduit from the magazine to the barrel; and retracting the closing assembly to connect the magazine interior to the conduit so that paint balls can enter the barrel via the conduit.
The present invention also provides a method for shooting paint balls from a paint ball gun including the steps of: loading paint balls into a magazine of this invention with the retractable closing assembly unretracted; connecting a depending tube of the magazine to the feed tube of a paint ball gun to form a conduit from the magazine to the barrel; retracting the closing assembly to connect the magazine interior to the conduit so that paint balls can enter the barrel via the conduit; and firing a paint ball at a target. The method can also include the step of aiming the gun prior to firing.